Read a full match report for the Premier League game between West Bromwich
Albion and Wigan Athletic at the Hawthorns on Saturday, May 4, 2013.

Roberto Martínez and his Wigan Athletic players always seem to become invigorated when nails are being bitten and the tension is cranked up. And hopes of a third successive escapology act remain alive after the hands of relegation eased from around their throats with a crucial victory that breathed new hope into their season.

Callum McManaman has endured a turbulent few months, ever since that dreadful challenge on Newcastle’s Massadio Haidara catapulted him into the national conscience, but his goal 10 minutes from time could ensure he is remembered this season for more palatable reasons.

Suddenly Wigan’s latest survival mission appears not so unlikely, and the grim prospect of Martínez being relegated hours before the club’s first appearance in an FA Cup final next weekend has disappeared. This particular scrape could yet have a happy ending after a first win in five games left them just two points adrift of safety.

Martínez has claimed that Wigan have the big-club mentality when it comes to the final third of the season, which begs the question as to what their approach is in the two thirds before. Their familiar powers of recovery were evident once again as they fell behind twice but still recovered to settle an absorbing encounter.

Wigan now face Swansea at home on Tuesday night before their big date at Wembley, with Martínez increasingly optimistic of avoiding the drop into the Championship. The only blight on an encouraging afternoon was a hamstring injury to winger Jean Beausejour, who will miss next Saturday’s showpiece.

“We know how to get out of this situation and the players have the experience of not being affected by it,” Martínez said. “We deserved to win and had to win this game and couldn’t afford to hang on for a point.

“We have worked really hard for two months to get us in the position where, with two weeks of the season left, we are still involved in two competitions. If we stay up it would be like winning the title.

“They are all finals for us game by game now but the mentality of the team is magnificent. We have to fight for every point that is left.”

Even if they always leave it late to rouse themselves, Wigan will be missed by the Premier League. Their football is always entertaining and while the quality may sometimes be lacking, many teams could learn from their bold approach to games.

There was a party atmosphere at the Hawthorns anyway, as West Brom supporters toasted the relegation of bitter enemies Wolverhampton Wanderers to League One, and frequent chants were dedicated to the managerial acumen of Dean Saunders.

Arouna Kone almost threatened the delirium early on when he forced Ben Foster into an ugly and unconvincing diving save. But Albion’s potency on the counter-attack was evident as they took the lead with almost half-an-hour gone. Romelu Lukaku released Markus Rosenberg on the right and the Swede produced a perfect cross for Shane Long, who could not miss.

Wigan were creating problems of their own by constantly surrendering possession and, after a James McCarthy error, Lukaku could have added a second but was denied by Joel Robles.

It was a costly miss. Martínez was furiously appealing for a free-kick, after Shaun Maloney had been upended by Billy Jones, but was celebrating seconds later after Kone headed in Beausejour’s deep cross at the far post.

Kone was not so useful at heading in the other penalty area, however, as he was caught out five minutes into the second period. Graham Dorrans floated in a free-kick and Gareth McAuley easily evaded Kone, supposedly his marker, to head Albion back into the lead.

But the pendulum swung again with Wigan levelling after James McArthur headed in Maloney’s excellent centre with his first touch after coming on as a substitute.

It was an enthralling spectacle, and Albion’s Peter Odemwingie only added to the drama when he jogged up the touchline for a brief warm-up. The forward, who failed to force through a move to Queens Park Rangers in January, took exception to comments from the West Stand and exchanged verbals with supporters before being told to sit down by one of Steve Clarke’s back-room staff.

The West Brom manager said: “It was a bad reaction from the crowd, they were letting their feelings known.”

Wigan suffered a shattering blow when Beausejour was carried off on a stretcher but recovered again to go ahead in the 80th minute after McManaman turned in the outstanding Maloney’s cross.

Albion battled for an equaliser, with Robles brilliantly saving from Dorrans, and they could have had a penalty when Roger Espinoza appeared to handle in the area, but Wigan remain on course for another dramatic escape.